Regulator for x-ray tubes.



1. REGNIER.

REGULATOR FOR X-RAY TUBES.

APPLICATION FILED nEc.1.1911.

1,276,568. Patented Aug. 20, 1918.

JOSEPH REGNIER, 0F PARIS, FRANCE, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND PAUL RENDER, OF PARIS, FRANCE.

REGULATOR FOR X-RAY TUBES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 20, 1918.

Application filed December 1, 1917. Serial No. 204,942.

To aZZ whom it may concern: v

Be it known that I, JOSEPH REeNmR ,.citizen of the Republic of France, and resident of Paris, France, (post-.ofiice address. 10 Rue Victor Cousin), haveinvented a. new and useful Regulator for X-Ray Tubes, which improvements are fully set forth in the following specificatio This invention relates to a regulator with mercury, air and a compression chamber, with a capillary part of glass in the interior and with a. special porous body, for X-ray tubes and the like apparatus.

The accompanying drawings show by way of example a regulator according to this invention.

This regulator differs from those hitherto built, by its reduced volume, by its special porous body owing to which, by varying the diameter, it can be given the desired sensitiveness, and more particularly by a tubular capillary device fused in the compression chamber acting to overcome any risk of air admission and reducing to a minimum the risks of any breaking up of the mercury column, which so frequently takes place and is so injurious to the good working of the regulators manufactured up to now.

This apparatus can be worked by blowing 1- .1'n air special by means of a special pump,

or a rubber bulb, or by an electric control,

such, for instance, as a simple lighting push button and a rubber pipe. In the latter case, the current is sentinto the lamp filled with air, whereupon the filament of the lamp becomes incandescent and heats the air inclosed which, on expanding, works the apparatus from a distance.

The porous body is a piece of graphite literally fused into the mass of glass, the capillary device being drawn out from the said mass, while the porous materialhas been welded to it, owing to which any leakage is avoided. The porous body can have different diameters giving extremely different degrees of sensitlveness.

The capillary part of the air chamber is of the greatest importance, since it gives a greater security than could be obtained with the elastic diaphragms previously tried, as their impermeability was not perfect. With the chamber made entirely of glass, there is no fear of any leakage, and the air bubble remaining in the chamber and formin a plug, can move therein in any. direction uring the travels and the changes of position of the X-ray bulb, without ever passing through the inner capillary part or tube, which gives a security hitherto unknown.

The regulator chiefly comprises a branch A filled with cotton and forming an obturator, and connected to the apparatus for blowing in air. This branch A is in communication with the tubular inner capillary device B, the end C of which dips intoa chamber or cup R formed entirely of glass and protected from shocks by a cap G.

On the capillary tube B is arranged at P the porous body which, as already, stated, forms one piece with the mass of glass. Normally, the capillary tube B is filled with mercury up to its reduced upper portion B and the receptacle R is also partly filled with mercury.

The capillary tube B passes through the air admission chamber A which is connected by the branch T to the X-ray bulb. In the said branch is mounted a glass film 0 soldered to the walls of the branch; this film is provided in the center with a very small opening and prevents the radiations from the bulb from passing through the branch into the regulator.

The working is as follows:

By blowing in air by one of the means described in the foregoing through the obturator A, the mercury in the tube B will be forced below the porous body P, and therefore a certain quantity of air willbe able to pass into the chamber A The depression of the mercury continuing, the mercury will be forced through the end C of the tube into the chamber B. When the blowing is finished, the mercury will resume its place, rising up to the obturator A, and the regulater will again become perfectly air-tight.

Claims:

1. A regulator for X-ray tubes, comprising an air chamber of vitreous material having an inlet branch containing a ggrous plug, and a branch leading to the -ray bulb, and also having a mercury cup which is located opposite the first-named branch: and a capillary tube of vitreous material within said chamber fused at its opposite ends to the walls thereof and extending from said first-named branch to said cup, one end of said tube opening directly into said first-named branch, and the other end projecting into the mercury in said cup;

said tube being normally filled with mercury and having a single body 0r porous material fused into it at a point below the level of the mercury, whereby the admission of air under pressure through said firstnamed branch will force the mercury down- Ward through said tube into said can, so as to uncover said porous body and permit the passage of air therethrough into and through the second-named branch.

2. A regulator for X-ray tubes, compris ing an air chamber of vitreous material having. an inlet branch containing a porous plug, and a branch leading to the X-ray bulb and also having a mercury cup Which is located opposite the first-named branch; a capillary tube of vitreous material Within said chamber fused at its opposite ends to the Walls thereof and extending from said first-named branch to said cup, one end or said tube opening directly into said firstnamed branch, and the other end projecting into the mercury in said cup; and a centrally apertured partition member of vitre one material disposed transversely Within the secondnamed branch to prevent the rays from the bulb from entering the regulator; said tube being normally filled with Inercury and having a single body of porous material fused into it at a point below the level of the mercury, whereby the admission of air under pressure through said firstnanied branch Will force the mercury downward through said tube into said cup so as to uncover said porous body and permit the passage of air therethrough into and through the second-named branch.

JOSEPH Witness:

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